In this Lima News file photo, an aerial view showed the devastation from the 2002 tornado that swept through Van Wert and into Putnam County.
File Photo | The Lima News
VAN WERT — Driving Lincoln Highway into Van Wert, there is little to suggest that 20 years ago, on Nov. 10, 2002, the area was devastated by an F4 tornado. The tornado followed a path across Van Wert County and into Putnam County, reaching its peak speeds on the western edge of Van Wert. An F4 tornado can have wind speeds of approximately 207 to 260 miles per hour, causing damage to even solidly built structures.
It ripped through Van Wert, causing substantial damage to the Van Wert Cinemas and Drive-In, as well as to several major manufacturers in the town. Two people died during the storm and 19 were injured. It could have been even worse, if not for the preparedness of the county’s Emergency Management Agency.
Van Wert County EMA Director Rick McCoy has been working in Van Wert County’s Emergency Management Agency since the late 1990s. In January 2002, he went through the StormReady certification process. This certification was created by the National Weather Service to allow counties to take more charge of storm preparedness and response to weather events. This includes having NOAA weather radios in public buildings, having a 24-hour warning point and redundant warning receiving systems. He also relied on a network of spotters using scanners and ham radios throughout the county that acted as the eyes on the ground in addition to weather radar. McCoy was able to give the city a 26-minute warning for the incoming tornado.
“The last time we saw a tornado of this size was Palm Sunday of 1965,” McCoy told The Lima News shortly after the storm.
Close calls at the cinema
At the movie theater, fresh off a showing of “The Santa Clause II,” the manager, Scott Shaffer, moved 60 people into the cinder block restrooms, while movie-goes hunkered down underneath seats in four of the auditoriums. He had heard the alert monitor and sirens. McCoy kept the city’s tornado siren constantly running for 26 minutes to give people enough time to get to safety. The tornado struck the movie theater, ripping off the roof and destroying the drive-in.
“I was almost certain we were going to die,” Paul Roddy of Paulding told The Lima News Nov. 12, 2002. He and his wife, Tracy, had sheltered in one of the restrooms at the movie theater after going to see a movie to celebrate her birthday. In the restroom, Roddy used his body to shield his wife from falling debris.
“We probably would have been dead if we were outside,” he said.
The tornado then struck the industrial complexes nearby, including Kams Manufacturing, a site used by the Vera Bradley brand to manufacture their purses. Fortunately, as it was Veterans Day weekend, all the factories were closed, and no one was there.
In the aftermath of the event, the damage was assessed throughout the county, with totals reaching into the millions of dollars. Neighboring counties and the state provided aid after the county engineering facility was destroyed. The devastation received a great deal of attention, especially with the story of the crowds at the movie theater.
Memories of the tornado were on the minds of residents and business owners as they rebuilt. Rebuilding after 2002, businesses added basements, a prudent measure given that Van Wert County has one of the highest records for tornados in the state.
Moving forward
Twenty years later, response times are constantly improving thanks to technology. Radar advances offer higher resolution, the ability to track velocity and to see debris in storm systems. In addition to traditional warning systems, McCoy uses social media to get forecasts out to the public.
“I have on Facebook 12,000 followers in a county with a population of about 29,000,” McCoy said.
He also uses Nixle, an open communication program to send out warnings directly via text or email. The county also used grants to add a NOAA weather radio to every single business in the county.
